This invention relates to a thermal image transfer recording medium capable of producing highly reliable transferred images having excellent solvent and friction resistance.
Recently, a thermal imprint recording method using a thermal head has been widely utilized. This is because a thermal head is advantageous in that it does not produce noise, its production cost is relatively inexpensive, it can be made small-sized, and it is easily maintainable. In addition to the above, the transferred images produced by a thermal head are very stable.
Heretofore, a thermal image transfer recording medium which comprises a substrate such as a condenser sheet and a polyester film, which has high thermal conductivity and thermostability, and a thermofusible color layer formed thereon containing thermofusible materials such as natural and synthetic waxes, colorants, and thermoplastic resins has been used in the thermal imprint recording method.
However, images transferred from the above conventional recording medium to a recording sheet tend to fade when in contact with solvents such as alcohol, kerosene, machine oil and petroleum, or rubbed with a cloth impregnated with the same.
Further, the transferred images readily lift off the recording sheet if rubbed with corrugated cardboard or scratched by a pen scanner which is used for reading bar codes.